I had the wonderful apportunity of teaching a summer course in the University of Rochester. The course was on Waves and Modern Physics. I had a great time teaching the course. I learnt a lot from it. It was my first experience as a teacher. I really enjoyed the lecture on Rainbow. The students were great. They asked many interesting questions and many times I did not know the answer myself. It was then when I realized the importance of the words which one of my friends once told me, "We learn Physics in two ways, either we understand it or we get used to it".  I found that in many cases, I had got used to the concepts without understanding it. So, it was nice to interact with fresh brains. What follows is the course website for PHY123.

 

 The course Physics 123 will cover Fermat's Principle of Least Time,  Geometrical Optics, Waves, Sound Waves, Wave Optics, Special Theory of Relativity, Photoelectric Effect, Compton Scattering, Radioactivity, Working of Lasers, Wave Particle Duality and Particle in a Box, Hydrogen Atom.

Prescribed Books: Giancoli, Resnik Halliday Walker, Feynman Lectures in Physics.

Lecture Timing: 0930-1145 Monday-Thursday

The classes will be held in Bausch & Lomb 315

Recitation: Wednesday at 2:45  PM 

Contact Info: Shantanu Agarwal
                     Email: iitkgp.shantanu@gmail.com
                     Office: Bausch & Lomb 304
                     Phone: 355-8285
                     Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Grading Scheme: 35% Homework

                           30% Midterm Exam

                           35% Final Exam

Midterm Exam is scheduled on Thursday, July 17, from 9:30 AM. 

(Note that there is no credit for lab but it is mandatory to clear it. )

 

 

Lecture Notes:

Fermat's Principle And Geometrical Optics

Geometrical Optics Continued

General Properties of Waves

Sound Waves

Superposition, Interference and Beats

Wave Nature of Light, Phasors and Young's Double Slit Experiment

Diffraction

Polarization

Blackbody Radiation, Photoelectric Effect, Compton Effect, Momentum of Photon, Pair Production 

de Broglie Waves, Rutherford model, Emission and Absorption Spectra, Bohr Model

Double Slit Experiment and Uncertainty Principle

Probability Distribution Function, Schrodinger Equation, Particle in a Box (Infinite and Finite potential Well)

Hydrogen Atom, Selection Rule, Pauli's Exclusion Principle, X Rays 

Relativity (1)

Relativity (2)

 

Midterm with Solutions

Endterm with Solutions 

 

Assignments:

Assignment 1     Solution

Assignment 2     Solution

Assignment 3     Solution

Assignment 4     Solution 

Assignment 5     Solution

Assignment 6     Solution

Assignment 7     Solution

Assignment 8     Solution

Workshops: 

Workshop 1  (The solution to the Calvin and Hobbes problem is given in the lecture notes: Geometrical Optics Continued.)

Workshop 2 

Workshop 3

Workshop 4

Workshop 5